Necromancer and Rogue
by Rowsencrantz
Summary: Title is minimalist I know, but says it all. They are not in a relationship, at least not yet, I'll see how it goes. From rogues POV, kind of a culture clash thing. Chapter 2 is halfway through the works.
1. Chapter 1

It was a dark, foggy afternoon on the Blood Moor. Rain fell steadily, and thunder rolled in the distance.

Elly, a young rogue archer, stood nervously on the outskirts of the camp, fingering her arrows. This was her first day on guard duty. When the monastary had fallen, she hadn't completed her training, and under normal circumstances, she never would have been assinged such responsibility. But there were so few sisters left, and Kashya had said they couldn't afford to be ambushed at any cost.

Guards or no guards, the fog would make an ambush all too easy for even the most dimwitted demon. Elly sighed. She could barely see 10 feet in front her, let alone see any creatures that could be creeping towards them.

She saw a figure moving in the fog to her right. Heart racing, she strung an arrow and pointed it in the direction of the movement. "H-halt! Who are you? What do you want?" Her voice sounded high pitched and scared even in her own ears, and the question seemed pointless considering most of the things on the moor couldn't speak Common. But the rogues were required to ask this of any creature they were uncertain of-though in this case, Elly was almost certain it was hostile.

A girlish, rather affected laugh answered her, and she lowered her bow with a sigh of relief. "It's just me, Elly.'' It was the voice of her best friend, Annor.

''Thank goodness. I thought you were a demon for sure. Shouldn't you be at your post? Kashya will kill you if she finds you're absent.''

''She's talking to Akara. She won't notice if I'm gone for a few seconds. Anyway, with this fog I've been scaring myself silly at shadows. I thought I'd see how you were doing.''

Elly sighed. ''Oh, just jumping at verything that moves.''

Annor laughed again. ''It's always like that the first time.

The two girls stood in silence, staring out at the mist shrouded moor.

They made a contrasting pair. Elly had light green eyes and brown hair, pulled into a smooth ponytail. Over her revealing reddish leather rogue's armor she wore a dark green cloak. Annor, on the other hand, had black hair that was striking with her sky blue eyes. Her hair had been put into a braid and decorated with a gold ribbon. Over her armour she wore a dark blue cape that ended at her waist, the better to show off her long legs.

As they watched the rain coming down, shouting erupted in the distance.

Annor gasped. "That sounds like Maeko! We have to help her!" Fear rippled down Elly's spine, but she tried to ignore it as she sprinted after Annor to the west side of camp, where Maeko and her sister, Kyoko, were shooting arrow after arrow into an advancing force of five skeletons, two of whom seemed to have the ability to cast spells. Spheres of flame and streaks of ice hurtled through the air as the undead fired back at them. ''Get Kashya!,'' Kyoko yelled, and Elly ran toward Kashya's tent. Kashya met her halfway there. ''What's going on?'' she asked, already heading toward the fray. ''Skeletons, captain! They can cast spells...and I saw something else-a big, hulking man made out of mud!'' Kashya looked grim and redoubled her pace.

When they arrived at the battle, the skeletons had been killed but the mud man was plodding forward, arrows sticking out at all angles but still moving.

"It doesn't feel pain!'', Kyoko yelled, shooting a fire arrow at it with little effect.

''What're you _doing?'' _

The women lowered their bow in consternation as a deadly pale man with jet black hair came into view. Despite the rain and wind he wore no cloak,and his partially unlaced black velvet tunic left his chest bare. With an angry gesture of his gloved hand he made the now badly damaged mud man crumble to the ground.

''Those were mine!'', he continued, adressing Kashya, who was obviously in charge. ''I know they look evil, but they are completely under my control!''

''Those abominations attacked my archers, _necromancer,_'' replied Kashya, saying the word like a curse. ''If you're controlling them you have a _lot_ to answer for.''

''Captain, the creatures didn't actually attack us, '' Maeko admitted. ''We thought they were roaming demons and chose to fire on them before they had made a move. This foul man didn't seem to give them any orders.''

The necromancer gave Kashya a smile that would've been charming if it it hadn't been so smug. ''See, there's nothing to be afraid of,''he told her consolingly, then dodged as she tried to hit him with her fist.

''How dare you speak so condescendingly to me! You will be taken before our High Priestess!'

''For what? Talking back at you? The Sitersterhood of the Sightless Eye definately seems to have too much time on it's hands.''

''Akara will be able to see into the shadows of your soul and reveal your guilt,'' Kashya declared. ''Elly, Kyoko, be sure this miscreant makes no false moves.''

The two young women trained their arrows on him and followed as Kashya began leading the way to Akara's tent.

''Miscreant you call me, with no other proof but that which your fear puts before you. Shall you tear out my tongue and script upon it your own truth?''

Kashya didn't stop or turn around.

''The Sisterhood does not play people false, not even those as debased as yourself,'' she answered.

The necromancer said nothing, though Elly saw his shoulders tense with anger.

''Akara!'' Kashya called as they approached the tent in the corner of the camp.

The regal old priestess stepped outside, pulling her purple cape around her shoulders. Though she was blind, she seemed perfectly aware of her surroundings, and looked directly at the people she spoke to.

''Ah, Kashya. A visitor to the camp, I suppose? An unusual one, at that. I sense his magic energy.''

''_Visitor _isn't the word I would use,'' the necromancer commented, under his breath. Akara heard him.

''I'm sorry if our methods seem discourteous to you, but in these dark times we must be sure of any we chose to trust.''

Kashya spoke before the necromancer could make a reply. ''We suspect this man of orchestrating an attack against us, but he has denied it. Would you scry him and determine if he tells the truth?''

''Of course. Step forward, young man.''

The necromancer hesitated, then came and stood before her. He was about a foot taller then the old woman. Akara stared up at him as if she could see his face.

She whispered some words, and there was a silvery flash of light. For a moment the necromancer was wreathed in white flame. Elly could see his face in angular profile . He didn't seem alarmed; in fact, he almost looked bored. The light reflected eerily off his purple-grey eyes, then, as suddenly as it had come, it died down.

Akara turned to Kashya and smiled. ''This man is not a threat to our order. He did not attack us. Still, your vigilance was wise. I would like to speak with him further; you may remain if you wish.''

Kashya looked a bit taken aback by this revelation, but it didn't change her attitude toward the necromancer much.

''I'm sorrry, Akara, but i have my duties to attend to. As for you, necromancer, if you're caught summonming any of your abominations in camp, there will be consequences.'' As the necromancer bristled, Kashya turned to Elly and Kyoko. ''Stay here. Keep an eye on him.'' She stalked off.

Akara smiled at the necromancer, who still looked annoyed. ''Why don't you come inside? I have a lot of things I'd like to ask you.'' She led the way to another, larger tent, and he and the rogues followed.

Once they were inside, she motioned for the three young people to be seated. Elly and Kyoko relaxed, sitting on crates, but the necromancer sat down formally on his knees before Akara, eyeing her a little warily as she moved toward the makeshift desk at the back of the tent. It was obviously the tent in which she lived; the other must have been only a place where she tended to the wounded. There were books in an open chest, and another chest which presumably held her personal belongings. Akara pulled the scarred chair forward and sat down; the necromancer glanced up at the rogues guarding him through his long, pale eyelashes.

''First of all, I would like to know your name.''

''Sionnach. My name is Naru Sionnach.''

''An interesting name, but not your birth one, I believe?''

''Not quite. Sionnach is my first name. Naru was the name I was given when I began learning the teachings of Rathma.'' He stared cooly at Akara, as if waiting for her disapproval.

Akara nodded. ''I thought so. You have been sent to combat the evil that is creeping upon the land, yes?''

''I don't know why you ask questions you already know the answers to. It wastes time.''

Akara chuckled. ''Young people are always in such a hurry,'' she commented.

''What am I supposed to say to _that_?'', Naru wondered, glancing sidelong at Elly and Kyoko.

Akara ignored this. ''Though I know you didn't attack us, I would like you to take on a challenge to prove your skill and allegiance. There is a cave system nearby that has become infested with demons and the undead. We have plans of relocating there if this camp is overrun. I would like you to slay all the demons in that cave. But, take heed: we have lost many sisters on that selfsame task.''

Naru stood and headed for the door. ''I'll be back by nightfall.''

''Not so fast.'' Kashya moved from the shadows to block his way. Elly wondered if she had been listening the whole time. ''Akara, I think we should send one of our own in to keep an eye on him, and make sure that he isn't plotting with the demons.''

''You are too kind, my lady. I have been in dire need of a millstone to hang about my neck.'' He smiled thinly, showing he was only half joking.

''Our sisters are not cowards.'' Kashya's voice was dangerously level. She looked at Kyoko and Elly. Kyoko was more expierienced, but she had been wounded recently. Putting her in the line of fire once again would be wrong. Elly was a timid novice, but she would have to learn fast if she was to survive long in the dark days ahead.

''Elly. You shall accompany the Necromancer.''

''I-It shall be done, Captain.''

Elly was taken aback. A part of her was proud that she had been chosen, but another, much larger part was afraid of leaving the camp with a practitioner of the dark arts.

Naru fixed her with a piercing stare. ''I intend to slay everything in that cave by tonight. If you're not ready, I'm afraid I'll be forced to leave you behind.''

''I'm prepared, Mr...Necromancer.'' Elly was unsure how to adress him. In her village, men she didn't know were Goodman Smith or , for example, but this seemed too familiar, as did calling him by either of his names.

''I've been called a lot of things, but never 'Mr. Necromancer'.'' The thin smile was back. Elly was embarrassed to be treated like a child. Her face flushed, but Naru didn't seem to notice.

''Let's go. I passed the cave earlier, so I know we have a lot of ground to cover.''

He nodded to Kashya and left the tent. Kashya stopped Elly on her way out. ''Keep an eye on him. Don't let him turn your head. He might be good looking on the outside, but his heart is probably corrupted by evil.''

''Yes, Captain. I'll remember.''

''Go then, and bring glory to the Sisterhood.''


	2. Chapter 2

When Elly came outside, the rain had slacked off, and she could see the necromancer standing outside the camp. The ground in front of him heaved and another mudman bubbled up from the wet earth. It stood staring at him a moment before pacing back and forth. Elly was surprised. She had always thought a necromancer commanded every move their creatures made. While she had been watching the golem, Naru had summoned a saturn-like revolving ring of bleached bones, and stood waiting for her and running his thumb along the edge of his dagger. Elly joined him outside camp.

''Isn't that dangerous?'' she asked, gesturing to what he was doing with the knife. ''I mean, aren't necromancer's blades covered in poison? What if you cut yourself?''

''I've built up an immunity to all the poisons I use,'' he replied, but sheathed the blade anyway. He began walking down the path, keeping a swift pace. He seemed determined to leave her behind. Elly didn't let it faze her. The walk was uneventful, as they were crossing territory the necromancer had already cleared of demons. Occasionally, they passed one of their corpses, and Naru would stop and ressurect it as a skeleton. The first time he did it, Elly couldn't keep back a yelp of fear and disgust. The corpse turned inside out and heaved up it's shiny white bones from the middle of a morass of blood and shredded innards. The skeleton rose to it's feet and strode alongside them with an odd combination of mindlessness and purpose, still clutching the weapons it wielded in life.

Naru had smiled at her reaction. ''Some people I've travelled with can't even keep their food down when they see that for the first time.''

''I can't believe you can even sleep at night, commiting these horrible acts all day, and just smiling about it!'' she told him, but didn't go further. To her shame, she felt a lump rising in her throat at the thought of the trapped souls. Sisters of the Sightless Eye didn't cry like children!

Naru half-turned from her, folding his arms as if to ward of a chill. ''I've heard the rogues keep prisons under their compound. Keeping prisoners is the same thing as keeping souls, only _I _let them go at the end of the day.''

Elly was seething. How dare he compare his dark magics to the laws of the sisterhood? How dare he compare the binding of souls to the imprisoning of bandits and criminals! But she couldn't trust her voice not to crack, so she stayed silent.

The thin thread of comradery that had been forming between them was broken, and they finished the walk to the cave in stony silence. They were greeted by a gaping cavemouth decorated by crude, barbaric paintings of demons. A smell of rot and damp issued from within, riding an undercurrent of what smelled like burnt meat. Naru stood, peering into the darkness. Elly wondered what he was waiting for. Guess he's not so brave after all, she thought scornfully. He turned suddenly, a troubled expression on his face. The concern in his eyes caught her off guard.

''If we continue...that smell is...it's burning flesh, a human burning, you know that, right?'' Elly wondered how he knew what burning flesh smelled like. Before she could ask he had continued speaking. ''Your sisters have disappeared in here. You might...see them...you know...burning.'' His voice was bleak. ''You don't have to come inside. I can survive on my own.''

Elly almost accepted. The flicker of fear in her heart had blazed up at the thought of the horrors she might see within the cave. But she supressed the feeling. ''I'm here to bring glory to the Sisterhood. I'm not afraid enough that it can stop me.'' Echoing Kashya's words gave her courage.

Naru stared at her a few moments before going inside. ''Very well.''

Elly took a deep breath and followed. Inside, the cave was dark, and they could see only about ten feet in every direction. The grunts and sharp cries of demons reached their ears, though none approached. The golem wasn't as cautious. It plunged into the darkness, it's yellow eyes intent on an unseen enemy. Soon, they could hear the sounds of a fight. Naru drew his dagger and headed into the fray. Elly couldn't believe it. He's going to get himself killed, she thought. A knife isn't enough against that mob. To her surprise, he slew the demons with almost frightening ease, slashing their throats and cutting open their stomachs with deadly speed. Blood was everywhere. Elly picked off the stragglers and any that tried to attack the necromancer from behind. It wasn't long before they cleared the first room of the cave, but the snuffles and bellows of some larger creature still echoed in the darkness.

Naru turned to her, smiling, blood still dripping from the dagger. ''This is going to be even easier than I thought,'' he said. He sounded a little too happy. Sure, demons were unholy monsters, but were you really supposed to be so cheerful about killing _anything? _

Naru lead the way further into the cave, until they came upon hulking, furry beasts with huge hands. They were on a lower ledge of the cave about fifteen feet down, milling about in a rage, unable to reach the rogue or the necromancer.

''I've never seen anything like those before,'' Naru murmured.

''Usually they avoid people,'' Elly said. Their behavior troubled her. She had seen one as a child, for a few awe inspiring seconds, peering out of the bushes at the edge of her village. Often the hunters mentioned spotting them. Never would they act so fierce and bold. Naru, untroubled by such memories, jumped off the ledge and landed silently on his feet. The skeletons and golem next to Elly began pacing rapidly back and forth, lacking the intelligence or perhaps the agility to follow their master. The young rogue barely noticed them. She was focused on Naru, as were the beasts.

''Necromancer! Come back! Are you suicidal?''

Naru was now blocked from her view by the huge beasts, but she heard sardonic laughter that must have been him. Damn it, she thought. Has he lost his mind? Elly had heard of some warriors who became fatalistic and acted foolhardy during battle. Perhaps this was one of them. She fired an ice arrow at one of the monsters, the only skill she had learned, and it's hide was covered in frost crystals. It's movement slowed considerably, but it still turned toward her with a loud, angry grunt. She fired arrows now as quickly as she could, but the creature veered off to the right as she shot at it and was lost in darkness. Fear sprung up in her again, and she realized her heart was hammering. Where would the monster show it's self next? She took a deep, shaky breath and tried to calm herself enough to call upon her inner sight.

A few long seconds later, the monster was illuminated, much too close for comfort. It had come up a small slope that looked like it had been created by a rockfall. She backed up quickly, trying to get enough distance for her bow, and bumped into the wall. She desperately fired Ice arrows into the behemoth, unaided by the skeletons, who seemed to lack volition when Naru was so far away. The golem lumbered forth and was destroyed in two blows, but the short delay was all she needed; with a last arrow, she felled the beast. Turning back to find Naru, she saw him standing over two big, furry bodies. He was looking up at her but it was too dark to see his expression. He summoned different skeletons and a fresh golem, and the ones standing near Elly fell to pieces. She stepped over the bones and down the rockslide to Naru, careful not to get too much of the offal from the fresh skeletons on her shoes.

''Why did you do that? Do you just like watching bodies turn inside out or something? The ones on the ridge were fine.''

''They can only think so much on their own. For things like rockclimbing, I have to instruct them directly, which is difficult when there's so many. It's faster this way,'' he explained practically, then added, with a smirk, ''But I _do _like to see bodies turn inside out.''

Elly didn't dignify the statement with a response. She and the necromancer met a few demons, a lone or in twos and threes, as the walked through the narrower passages of the cave. Elly could handle these easily; in fact, she usually shot them down before they even got close enough for Naru to strike at them. They camer eventually to a larger cave, lit with torches. The smell of burning flesh was heavier than before, and it was now mixed with the odors of decay, unwashed bodies, and burning wood. Highpitched voices chattered back and forth on the far side of the cavern.

''Damn, it's a colony of Carvers,'' said Naru. ''I recognize the warcries-they must have known we were coming, somehow.''

''But...I thought those were only rumors,'' said Elly.

''No, It's true. I saw some camps in the distance on my way to your hospitable campground, and anyway, where I learned my art, the demons have villages, and eat people. This is nothing.''

Elly ignored the digs. ''Do you have any ideas about taking them down? They might be small but they'll kill us if we're stupid.''

''Keep the little bastards off me while I go for the shaman. He has similar powers to mine. Once we kill him the rest are easy prey.''

Elly nodded and strung an arrow. Naru and his skeletons went ahead. Smaller demons and zombies rushed at them, but what the skeletons couldn't take down Elly killed in two shots or less. The shaman conjured a fireball and hurled it at the nercromancer. He ducked and leapt forward, drawing the kris across the belly of the shaman. He didn't fall immediately and raised one of his nearest lackeys from the dead, then swung at Naru with a small, sharp bone blade. The necromancer was caught by surprise and jumped back only just in time to avoid serious harm; as it was, the blade cut through the laces of his tunic and gave him a long, shallow vertical slice down his chest. Elly couldn't see the extent of the damage from the distance; all she saw was the blood, even more garish on the necromancer's pale skin. Her shortbow didn't have enough range at this distance to take down the shaman. She headed forward, intending to help him, but one of the skeletons got there first and finished off the demon. Elly fitted another arrow to her bow and aimed at one of the smaller demons, but a man limped out of the darkness to her left. Too short to be Naru, and anyway he's on the other side of the cavern, she thought, and then noticed that half the man's face had rotted off, revealing his teeth. A zombie! She screamed and started violently away from it's cold, moist touch as it grabbed her arm. It gave an angry grunt and swung at her with surprising swiftness. One of the skeletons attacked it from behind, systematically hacking off the zombie's zombie fell down, unable to move, but it's empty eye sockets still glowed with an unholy light. With a shudder of disgust, she looked away quickly and shot down another one of the small red demons. She fitted another arrow and looked around for more, then slowly realized that all the monsters in the cave were dead. She remembered that the necromancer had been hurt, and went to join him on the other side of the cave. He seemed fairly unfazed, considering that blood was beginning to drip down his chest.

''It's not as bad as it looks,'' he said, half smiling at her concerned expression. ''Barely an inch deep. Worrying about me, were you?'' He smirked at her and tied the tunic shut again as best he could with what was left of the laces.

''Don't you have any healing potions?''

''No. They're hard to find, and if I did have one I wouldn't waste it on a scratch. Let's get going, we have to kill these things by nightfall, and dark comes early at this time of year.''

Elly found this a little unusual, as the Sisterhood had always had a steady supply of healing potions from Akara. Now that she thought of it, anyone who had sought refuge with them had always bought a lot of healing potions, so perhaps the skill of brewing them was rarer than she thought. They killed more zombies in the next passages. Elly tried to tune out their ugliness and fight as best she could. It was working well, and she was calm and alert enough that their next battle with carvers was quick and efficient. I'm getting better at this, she thought with grim satisfaction. Eventually, the two came to the last section of the cave system. There, Elly saw something that froze the blood in her veins. Four bodies, burnt so badly they were nearly unrecognizable, lit each corner of the cave. The faces and hair were gone, but Elly could see by the armour that they had been rogues.

''Oh my god,'' she whispered.''Oh my god.''

''I warned you about this,'' Naru reminded her harshly. ''Concentrate on the battle or you'll end up joining them.'' He sent the skeletons and golem ahead of them to fight the hoard of zombies crowding the back of the cave. ''Something powerful is back there. It's making the rest of them stronger. I can sense it's energy.''

Elly tore her eyes away from the burning corpses with an effort. ''That's-that's Corpsefire. A zombie. Kashya mentioned it once.''

''Corpsefire...?'' Naru glanced at the burning bodies. ''Does that thing have the power to manipulate fire?''

The skeletons were quickly being decimated by the determined zombies, who seemed to glow with unholy energy. Of the ten that had started out the skeletons had only managed to kill two; the golem was moving incredibly slowly, encased in frost. Partially blocked by it's hulking frame, they could see a bluish rotted zombie, like a corpse from a still pond, with a greenish aura and glowing white eyes, with a sparkle of unusually coherent malice.

''It can wield all kinds of magic. Kashya said it can hurt you with fire or ice, or with a charge, like lightning. Or it can even poison you.''

''Damn.'' There was a hint of envy in his voice. He stood for a moment, his mind racing for a plan. And then the golem crumbled. The zombies turned their eye sockets on the necromancer and the rogue.

''Fall back,'' Naru decided, his voice more serious than it had been in other battles.

Elly backed up and began firing arrows, but the cold only slowed the zombies. It seemed to do little harm to the minions and none at all to Corpesfire. Naru was summoning white bolts of light that looked like fangs; the small explosion when they came in contact with Corpsefire didn't leave much of a mark either. Elly glanced over her shoulder and realized they only had ten more feet before they ran into the wall.

''We're running out of room!,'' she said, her voice coming out scared and breathless. She reached for another arrow from her quiver and was shocked to realize she only had a few left.

Naru threw a quick glance back and swore. ''Cover me then.'' He drew a second kris and charged Corpsefire, before Elly could warn him that she was running dangerously low on arrows. Naru slashed at the zombies, killing the weaker ones first and avoiding their leader as long as he could. Corpsefire continued forward, mindlessly intent on killing the nearest human. Even Naru looked a little disturbed, and Elly wondered why he didn't summon more skeletons. She had used up her arrows in keeping the zombies at bay from a distance. She had a dagger, and though she had little training in using it, it was better than nothing. Drawing it from her boot sheath, she ran forward to join Naru. He heard her and whirled around, knives ready, a cold gleam in his eyes.

''It's just me,'' she told him, but the look was already fading, replaced by one of surprise. He didn't say anything; there was no time. Corpsefire was nearly upon them, a green glow swirling in his rotting hands.

''It's a poison spell,'' Naru warned, but there was no where to run; their immediate path of escape was blocked by one of the burning bodies. Corpsefire's poison mist enveloped them for a moment and then was gone. Elly felt dizzy and weak. She was frightened by the suddeness of the poison, and her stomach was turning. She fought to ignore it. If she vomited, the zombie would take the opportunity to kill her. She lurched to the side as Corpsefire swung at her with a hand that glowed with electricity, ignoring the necromancer's attacks. Elly felt like she was moving in slow motion, but avoided the blow by inches. Her legs gave way and she slipped to the ground. She watched through black rimmed vision as Corpsefire attacked Naru with orange glowing hands. The necromancer's tunic burnt and the flesh beneath it sizzled. He cryed out in pain and recoiled. We're being killed by a dead body, she thought dully. There's got to be something I can do. I can't fail the Sisterhood or myself. It was at that moment that Elly recalled something one of the other rogues had said: zombies are weak at the joints. The heat of the rogue's pyre behind her was scorching her back; she dragged herself away and kicked out at Corpsefire. Her foot struck the zombie's knee and there was a snapping sound as the rotten flesh and cartilage broke. And the zombie pitched forward, flailing, toward Naru, who stepped aside unsteadily and let Corpsefire fall into the flames. Elly was losing conciousness by then, but she had the impression that the cave filled with light.

Next: Aftermath; Arrival of the Paladin.


	3. Chapter 3

**I haven't forgotten about this story, or abandoned it! I've been really busy. Hopefully with summer break, the next chapter will be out sooner.**

As if from a distance, Elly heard someone calling her name. She couldn't place the voice. It wasn't her brother or father, she knew that. She struggled to wake

up. Then there was a quick, sharp pain on her cheek and her eyes snapped open. She saw Naru kneeling next to her on the ground and remembered everything. She sat up slowly, still feeling sick.

''Did you hit me?'' she asked, vaguely annoyed.

''Just to bring you around.''

''How long was I...''

''Only a few minutes. We have to get back to the camp by nightfall. Can you stand?''

''I-I think so.'' Elly stood carefully but swayed, the dizziness returning. Naru moved to help her but she shook her head and leaned against the wall. ''I'll be fine in a minute,'' she said. Elly hoped it was true. She didn't want to depend on a necromancer. He might be a good fighter, but he was fundamentally a bad person. He envies the necromancer who resurrected that abomination, she thought, glancing at Corpsefire's charred remains.

''The poison will take at least several hours to wear off,'' Naru said.

''You don't seem effected.''

''I've got a tolerance for poisons,'' he explained. Even so, he sounded tired. Elly wondered how badly he'd been burned.

''Do you feel better?''

''A little. Akara can help us when we return. She's a healer.''

Naru acknowledged this with a nod. ''Let's head to the surface.''

They walked back to the entrance of the cave. When they got outside, it was raining hard, and the wind had picked up considerably. Naru and Elly stood at the cave mouth, peering out into the downpour. Gusts of wind periodically blew the rain into their faces.

''Maybe we should wait until it lightens up a bit,'' Elly suggested.

''It's just water.'', Naru replied. ''At home it would rain like this for weeks some times...''

Elly remembered someone saying necromancers hailed from the jungles of the east. Naru, pale and calm, was the last thing she would associate with the wild, verdant jungles she had heard tell of.

''...and anyway,'' Naru continued,''There's more bands of carvers after dark. Neither of us are strong enough to do battle with them right now.''

He headed out into the storm without looking to see if she followed. The rain stopped when they were about fifteen minutes away from camp. The storm clouds thinned and a few golden rays of the setting sun shone through. Elly's heart lightened at the sight, and she realized that it had been a long time since the clouds had lifted on the Blood Moor. She couldn't help but wonder if it was somehow connected to all the demons that had overrun the Sisterhood's original stronghold. When they arrived at the camp, Kashya and Akara were waiting for them.

''Your will is done,'' Naru said, adressing the priestess.

''Thank you. The caves may yet be important to the sisterhood. You returned quickly, but the cave has left niether of you unharmed. Both of you should come with me.''

She led them back to her tent. Elly was glad to receive her help, but Naru was wary. Elly sat to one side drinking some black broth Akara had given her to heal poisoning. Naru was sitting across from her with his tunic unlaced, revealing the ugly red burns that the zombie had inflicted and the scratch from the carver. Akara healed them using a blessing of healing. When Akara reached out to bestow the blessing, Naru looked at her with such deep suspicion that Elly was disturbed. Is he going to hit her? She wondered, setting aside her bowl. But he looked away. He seemed surprised when the blessing did him no harm. He thanked her with a hint of shame that must have seemed odd to the blind woman, who couldn't have seen his expression. He did up the laces of his tunic and left rather abruptly.

Akara turned her head toward Elly, who had finished her broth. ''Do you feel better?''

''Yes. Thanks so much Akara, I feel fine now.''

The old woman smiled. ''I'm glad to help you.''

Elly headed for the door, but Akara stopped her. ''Your destiny is intertwined with that necromancer. It may seem strange, but there is a long path ahead that you must tread together.''

Elly was so surprised by this statement that she couldn't say anything for a moment. Her and Naru? She didn't even like the man, with his foul practices and strange ways. He was vexing enough for just one evening, let alone however long the path ahead of her was!

''Just the two of us?'' she asked, her voice coming out more whiny than she'd expected. Akara chuckled.

''No, there will be others. How many more, I cannot say. But one has already arrived. He's in the camp as we speak.''

Not another necromancer, I hope, thought Elly resentfully. She went out to find the newcomer. She didn't have to search long. She saw him almost the moment she left the tent, a broad shouldered, regal figure in shining silver armour. His skin was a smooth, dark brown, and his black hair had been closely shaved.

A paladin! She had heard of them from Gheid and Warriv. All she knew was that they were strong warriors and faithful priests who followed the teachings of the Zakarum. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad. Elly knew necromancers and paladins hated each other, but she didn't really care whether Naru was comfortable with the arrangement. The paladin saw her watching and nodded courteously. She smiled back and felt her face getting warm. It's nice that he noticed me, she thought, but I just wish I wasn't wearing these awful bloodstained leathers. She knew that a warrior shouldn't be bothered with vanity, but something made her want to look her best around the paladin. Returning to her and Annor's shared tent, she spotted Naru in the distance, talking to Gheed. He's going to be robbed blind, though Elly. But as she got closer, she could see that Gheed, usually annoying self confident, was nervous and scared looking. I wonder if the necromancer is threatening him, she thought. Gheed might be a deceptive worm, but while he's within the camp, he's under the protection of the sisterhood. She walked closer to see what was going on. Gheed was laughing nervously and showing the necromancer some blue-black leather armor.

''This is some nice armor, lad, bet you haven't seen anything like this, running around in them jungles, eh? It's the skin of a Vipermagi, so I'm told.'' Gheed was in his element and rapidly regaining his annoyingly confident demeanor. ''It's tough, but flexible, see? And light. That's important for running away from demons, helps you move faster.''

''You don't run away from demons. You kill them and enslave their corpse.''

''Nasty things, corpses. Until the way east is clear, I'm staying here, where it's safe. I'd rather be alive and cowardly than a dead hero! But if you've got to flirt with death, you might as well give yourself a fighting chance, by getting a piece of armor like this. Just look at the scales, I bet a blade couldn't pierce that! And it's a really nice dark blue color, too. Like sapphires.''

''I don't want to buy anything. What I want is information. You're a trader, right? You must know something about what's going on in the east.''

Gheed detected that he had the upper hand here. This boy was practically begging him for information. Information he could easily fake, for a good price, too. Let me see if I can raise the stakes a little, he thought.

''So, why's this important to you, mage boy? Got a sweetheart, pinin' away at home? Maybe even a kid?''

''Runt! How dare you take such a familiar tone with me,'' Naru snarled. He grabbed the chubby merchant by the shirt and lifted him off the ground so they were almost nose to nose. Up close, Gheed could see that the necromancer's teeth had been filed into points. ''Give me the information I seek,'' Naru commanded. Somehow, the calm voice in which he spoke was more threatening than the snarl. Even Elly was taken aback, but before she make a move, the Paladin strode past her and came to Gheed's rescue.

''Do not harm this man, Necromancer,'' he said. ''He is no threat to you. Harming the weak puts you on the level of the demons that plague this country.'' His words were stern, but rather than sounding angry, he sounded like a teacher addressing a pupil.

Gheed scurried to one side as Naru dropped him and turned to the Paladin.

''Are you here to kill me? I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed. I killed your damn brethren last time they hunted me down. Ten of your best warriors couldn't stand against me. You think you can do better?'' Contempt filled his voice.

Elly remembered hearing that the warrior priests of Zakarum had massacred scores of necromancers, invading the cave systems where they learned and killing everyone they could find. Elly wasn't sure if she agreed with such a heavy handed approach, but necromancers were so...what they did just wasn't natural. The dead deserved to rest. But if these two were mortal enemies, how would they ever travel together? Could Akara be wrong?

The Paladin didn't answer Naru's challenge the way Elly expected.

''I don't choose to serve Zakarum by killing others. The teachings of old have been tainted. I have chosen to protect the innocent.''

Naru scoffed. ''Ha! You expect me to believe that? I'm not some gullible townsman who's impressed by a few grand words and some shiny armor. Why would you be here, if not to kill me?''

''I was shown in a vision that the path to cleansing the shadow that creeps across this land begins here.''

Naru stared at him for a long moment. The paladin returned his gaze unflinchingly.

''We share the same goal,'' Naru said at last. ''But I will_ never _fight by your side.''

''That is foolishness. We must put aside our old fears to defeat this greater evil.''

''Fear? You think I fear you, priest? Has your holy light rendered you blind?''

They could go on like this all night, Elly thought. Damn that necromancer and his stubborn attitude! I'll have to intervene.

''Our Highpriestess, Akara, has foreseen that we will fight together.'' She was surprised by the confidence and authority in her tone; both men paused and turned to her.

Naru had a healthy respect for seers. But fighting alongside a fanatical murderer? It seemed like a creative way to commit suicide; and he was reasonably attached to his life as it was.

''Are you sure she said that? Seers speak in riddles. Surely you misunderstood her,'' Naru said impatiently.

''No. She was clear. Our destinies are entwined, she told me.''

Naru considered the situation. This paladin's got to be just like all the rest of them, thought the necromancer, and yet...he almost seems sincere. No! That's what he wants; once I trust, then comes the knife in the back. For now, he's a means to an end. But I'll have to vigilant.

''If your seer indeed speaks the truth, I will not kill the Zakarumite, yet,'' he promised.

''Yet? Yet isn't part of the-''

Naru cut her off. ''It's the best you'll get out of me.'' He turned and walked away without a backward glance. She watched him for a moment, then turned to the Paladin with a sigh.

''I'm sorry he's so rude-'' she began, not sure why she felt the need to apologize, but feeling compelled to make it clear that she didn't feel the same as the necromancer.

''There is no need for apologies,'' said the Paladin.''I had pictured that my meeting a necromancer would end in battle regardless of the fact that my beliefs differ from those of the other Zakarumites.''

''Do they consider you a heretic?''

He didn't answer the question.''Zakarum is not a god that teaches us to kill without reason. There are others who believe like me, but we are few in number. We hope to return our order to it's former glory.''

''That's...that's really wonderful,'' said Elly, becoming shy again. Once again, she remembered her disheveled appearance. ''I'm sorry, I have to go in and change,'' she said, then blushed to the roots of her hair as she realized she was talking about changing her clothes to a priest. Gheed laughed, but the paladin pretended not to notice her embarrassment.

''I won't keep you any longer,'' he said. ''Perhaps we could speak again at the evening meal.''

''I'd like that,'' Elly answered as she hurried inside-and almost ran into Annor, who had apparently been spying on her.

''You know, if he's a rebel knight, maybe he's no longer sworn to chastity,'' Annor giggled, smirking at her.

''That's not what I was thinking!'' Elly said, aware of the guilty tone in her voice.

''It's what you should've been thinking. When it comes to love-and _lovemaking, _it might not seem like it, but it's the lady that holds the power. I bet I could make the necromancer fall for me.''

''Him? He's so weird.''

''He has a pretty face.''

''That doesn't make up for how nasty he is. Some people think necromancers..._eat dead bodies.''_

Annor looked thoughtful, but eventually she said, ''It's probably not true. Lots of visitors who have stayed with us thought we killed any men who tried to seduce us, but that's not true.''

''He's hardly better than the demons he kills.''

Annor shrugged, smiling. ''I wouldn't stay with him. I'm just looking for someone to lie with for the night.'' She left the tent. Elly wondered if she should go after her. Annor usually flirted or occasionally slept with young men who crossed their path. Her various experiences usually seemed exotic and sophisticated, but this time, Elly wondered if seducing a necromancer was going a step too far. She put on a fresh set of leathers and left the tent. She walked to the campfire, where some of the other sisters were gathering for dinner. Wendy, an older rogue, handed her a bowl of soup; as usual, it smelled like chicken. We're going to need to replenish the camp's flock soon, Elly thought.

''How did things go in the caves tonight?'' asked Wendy.

''It was...It was difficult. There were zombies, and the Yetis have turned hostile. The Carvers really have become organized; there's a priest who can resurrect the others. I don't know how, but they just get back up, like nothing happened.'' She wasn't ready to tell them about the burnt bodies of their sisters. It felt like perhaps, if she didn't talk about it, it didn't have to be real-at least, not here.

The other rogues talked among themselves about this while Elly ate. The soup was good but salty; this could usually be said of Wendy's cooking.

''How could you stand fighting with that man's minions?'' asked Kyoko, who was sitting next to her. Elly didn't answer immediately. She glanced around for Annor or Naru, but she didn't see them. It didn't matter to her if the necromancer missed a meal, but she wondered where Annor had gone. Perhap's she's already put her plan in to motion, Elly concluded.

''I didn't really have a choice. But it was disgusting. The necromancer actually likes seeing bodies turn inside out; he said so. Even if his skeletons got me out of some tight spots, I don't think I'll ever get used to it.''

''Well, you won't have to. He's not staying here forever, and Kashya probably won't send the same person out with him twice.''

Elly stared disconsolately down at the leek slices and strings of chicken drifting in her bowl. ''I might have to travel with him.''

''What?''

Elly became aware that the other rogues had quieted and were listening to her. ''Akara had a vision, where she saw me and him traveling together with the paladin who arrived earlier.''

There was silence for a moment. ''Well, you're going to have your hands full at every turn keeping them from murdering each other,'' Wendy decided.

''Not really. The paladin seems willing to work together. He even said he doesn't believe in unnecessary killing. But of course, ournecromancer isn't going to accept that. He only promised not to kill the paladin 'yet'.''

''What an unreasonable man,'' Kyoko commented.

''That's just a piece of it,'' Elly said. ''He's reckless in battle, and earlier in the evening he started attacking Gheed.''

Wendy grinned. ''Well, I've got to admit, we've all wanted to hit Gheed before.''

This statement was met with chuckles and agreement from the other rogues, and protests from Gheed, who was eating nearby with Warriv. Naturally, this just fueled the sister's laughter. Gradually, the conversation moved on to other subjects. Elly finished her supper and left the others to converse around the fire. She was tired, and it would probably be a good idea to get plenty of sleep. Who knew what tomorrow would throw at her?

Back at her tent, she lifted the doorflap and realized that Annor was still missing. Should I go after her?, Elly wondered. Everything's probably fine. But I should look for her. What if the necromancer killed her? Elly shivered. There's no reason why he would kill her, she told herself scornfully. No man would kill a pretty lady who wanted to spend the night with him. Not unless he was a pervert. Even if he preferred the company of other men, or was sworn to celibacy, he wouldn't be so cruel...would he? Though she knew her worries were probably unfounded, contemplating the idea had made her too restless to sleep. She stepped out into the cool night and went to one of the two tents where male visitors were usually lodged. Warriv was in the first, and Gheed chose to stay in his own caravan cart. Though there was more than enough room for two people in the first tent, Naru didn't seem like someone who would choose to live with a companion if there was an alternative. A quick peek confirmed it; Warriv's belongings were the only things inside. Elly moved on to the next tent and stopped outside the door. She could hear murmuring inside; it was clearly Annor and the necromancer, but their voices were too low for her to make out what they said. Annor laughed flirtatiously, and Elly, feeling like a guilty lurker, walked away. It wasn't wrong to be worried, she told herself. It was perfectly alright, just to make sure she was safe, but...It's going to be embarrassing to talk to her tomorrow, even though she doesn't even know I was there.

Back at her tent, Elly sat on the edge of the bed, thinking over what had been the most overwhelming day since the flight from the monastery. On that day, the demons laying siege to the monastery had at last broken in. She and the other novice rogues had been the first to be sent away, with Gheed and Warriv. Many of the more experienced sisters who covered their retreat never rejoined them. What had happened to them? In her mind's eye, the terrible image of the burning rogues from the cave appeared again, and she remembered with awful clarity the relentless zombies and swarming demons. Who knew what had befallen them? Elly shook her head sadly. There was nothing to be done for them now, she decided. At least... their spirits were resting in peace. As she fell asleep, she had no idea of the horrors she would learn of in the morning.


End file.
